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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. rush — hurry
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. chair — a leader
  12. cold — an illness
  13. cold — not warm
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. lie — to recline
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. stick — a piece of wood

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com